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TILE MACHINE.

Patented June 11, 1889.

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Patented June 11, 1889. v

I A VEEJN'T I I Attorneys .N. PETERS. mm-uma n mr, wumngmpte UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIS D. SHERMAN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGN OR TO THE UNION HYDRAULIC DRAIN TILE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TILE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,185, dated June 11, 1889.

Application filed April 11, 1888. Serial No. 270,345- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIs D. SHERMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of myimproved tilemachine. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a front view of the tamping-frame, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the band around the grooved collar upon one of the shafts that operate the tamping mechanism.

My invention relates to machines or mills for forming tiles by means of stampers or tamping-bars which act upon the material of which the tile is composed as it is gradually fed into the shell, and compresses or tamps it into a tile, the table remaining stationary during the process and the tamping-bars being raised up as the tile is formed, thus producing a tile of the same consistency or compression throughout, the weight of the tamping-bars is always the same, and is designed as an improvement upon a tile-machine for which application for Letters Patent of the United States was filed March 8, 1888, Serial No. 266,553.

The invention therefore consists in the improved construction and combinations of parts of such a machine as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

core D is moved up or down when being withdrawn from a completed tile or raised into position for forming a new tile. The interior of the core is provided with screwthreads, into which fit the corresponding threads of a shaft E, which is journaled at its lower end in a bracket F at the base of the column, and is long enough to engage with the lower end of the core when the core has been elevated to its highest position. The shaft E is revolved by means of a bevelgear G upon its lower end, which receives its motion from the bevel-wheels H H upon the shaft I, which is journaled upon the base A.

The wheels H H are secured upon a sleeve or collar J upon the shaft, so that they can be moved in either direction by the handle K, so as to cause either the one or the other to engage with the wheel G and rotate it in either direction, thus raising or lowering the core as desired. To prevent the rotation of the core when the shaft E is screwed up into it, two downwardly-projecting rods L L are secured to the bottom of the table, upon which are mounted the two guides L L, which are secured to the bottom of the core.

The mechanism for compressing or tamping the tile between the core D and a shell M upon the table consists of a series of tamp- 8o ing-bars N N, which are secured at their upper ends to blocks 0 O, which are moved up and down in the frame P by means of the wheels Q Q. The frame P is preferably made of cast metal, and is secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft R by ordinary set-screws, or other means, so as to revolve with the shaft. The wheels Q Q, which are ordinary bevel-wheels, all of the same size, are secured to the sides of the frame P by means of stub axles or bolts, which are flush with the outer surfaces of the wheels at their outer ends. Each wheel is provided with a pin S upon its outer face, which engages with a slot T in the upper end of each of the blocks 0, so that as 5 is secured upon the lower end of a sleeve or to: long collar V, and engages with all of the wheels at the same time,'thus imparting a uniform motion to them all. This sleeve is journaled in a bearing in the outer end of a bracket V, which is secured to the column or support 13, and is provided at its upper portion with a sprocket or other drive wheel X, while the upper end of the shaft R is journaled in a bracket Y, secured to the upper end of the column B, and is provided with a sprocket-wheel Z. The shaft R is grooved upon one side for the reception of a key or fin upon the interior of the sprocket-wheel Z, so that the shaft can be moved longitudinally through the wheel and at the same time be rotated by it, while the lower end of the shaft is journaled in the sleeve or collar V. Each of these sprocket-wheels, and with them their separate mechanism, is operated from two sprocket-wheels a and Z) upon a shaft 0, which is journaled at its upper end in the rear end of the bracket Y and at its lower end in a bracket (Z, secured to the column The lower end of this shaft is provided with a bevel-gear c, which is driven from a similar whee]. f upon a short d rivi n g-sh aft 9, journalcd in brackets upon the rear of the column 13. This shaft is also provided with a suitable pulley for receiving motion from any convenient source of power, and also with a' pulley 7L, for imparting motion to a pulley 2' upon the end of the shaft I at the base, for operatin the mechanism for raising or lowering the core. The dimensions of the pulleys for operating the stamping mechanism are such that the sprocket-wheel U is revolved about two hundred and forty revolutions a minute, while the wheel Z is only rotated about twen ty-sevcn times a minute, thus causing the stampers to be operated vertically very rapidly, while they are slowly moved around within the shell, thus causing them to evenly spread and tamp the material of which the tile is formed as it is gradually fed into the shell.

In order to make each tile of exactly the same length, it is necessary to have some means which will automatically stop the operation of the mill as soon as the tile has reached a certain length. I accomplish this by making the bevel-wheel c movable upon the shaft 0, so that it can be moved up out of engagement with the drive-wheel f, which of course will stop the motion of the shaft and with it the tamping mechanism for forming the tile. To connect this wheel with the shaft R, two levers j and 7a are secured to the column 13, which are connected with each other by a link or pitman Z. One end of the upper lever j engages with pins v, projecting from the sides of a band a, which is clamped around a grooved collar m, rigidly secured upon the shaft R, while the opposite end of the lower lever engages with a groove in the hub of the wheel a. As the link Z is pivotally secured at its ends to these levers intermediate their pivotal points and the ends which ongage with the band around the collar and hub of the wheel, it is evident that when the shaft R, and with it the collar m, is moved upward the wheel a must be moved in the same direction; but as it is necessary to have the wheel c in engagement with the drive-wheel f during the formation of the tile, and only be thrown out of engagement at the completion of the tile, the upper end of the link Z is provided with a slot or, which permits the lever to move up with the shaft R almost its entire distance before the pin upon the side of the lever comes in engagement with the upper end of the slot and moves the lever upward. As the tile is thus being completed the lever j is carried up until it raises the lower lever far enough to lift the wheel 6 out of engagement with the drive-wheel f, and thus stop the operation of the machine. As soon as the tile has been completed the operator shifts one of the wheels H. into engagement with the wheel G, and thus puts the screw-threaded shaft E into operation, which of course draws the core down from the interior of the tile. As soon as the core has thus been removed or withdrawn from the tile the shell. and tile are taken from the table and an empty shell put in its place. The wheels It If are again shifted by the op erator so as to throw the other wheel into engagement with the bevel-gear G, which will. rotate the shaft E in the opposite direction and force the core up into position for the formation of a new tile. After the core has been elevated into position the tamping mechanism is lowered by means of a lever 17, which is pivotally secured to the lower portion of the column 13, and is connected at its rear end with the rear end of the lever j by means of a rod or bar q. As the length of the tile is preferably a trifle shorter than the length of the shell, the lower ends of the tamping-bars may be lifted out of the top of the shell. by means of this lever 27, and to prevent the falling or slipping down of the tamping mechanism when the tile has been removed the lever 17 may be made to engage with any suitable stop or catch from which it is disengaged by the operator when he wishes to lower the tamping mechanism into position for forming a new tile. As the tamping mechanism is lowered the stop on the side of the lever j will move through the slot 11 in the upper end of the link Z without forcing the link and lower lever 7r down until the mechanism is nearly at its lowest point, when the wheel 6 is thrown into engagement with the wheel f and the machine is put into operation. The material of which the tile is to be formed is now fed into the shell through the funnel or hopper 0', which is suspended above the top of the shell upon the curved arms s s, which are secured to the ends of the arms t t, which project out from the column. B. This funnel is removable, so that differentsized ones can be placed upon the arms to correspond with the differei'it-sized tiles being formed, and is preferably pivotally secured, so that it can be rocked a little to permit of the easy removal. of the shell. and tile. The

stampers are also made removable, and are each provided with an offset to fit differentsized shells.

As it is necessary to make tile of different densities, I construct the upper end of the shaft in such a manner-preferably wit-h a tenon-as to permit of the placing upon the end of the shaft of a ball of iron or other suitable weight a. In this manner a heavier weight can be placed upon the shaft for a more dense tile, and a lighter weight, or no weight at all, for a tile of less density. As the tile is formed upon a stationary table, it is evident that a tile will be formed of the same density throughout its entire length, as the weight of the tamping mechanism always remains the same whether it is just beginning or completing a tile. As the sand or other material is slowly fed into the shell it is spread out in a thin sheet or layer and securely packed or tamped by the lower ends of the stampers as they are moved up and down and gradually moved around within the shell, each accumulation of sand raising the tamping mechanism until it is finally raised so high that the levers j and 7c are moved sufficiently to disengage the wheel 6 from the wheel f when the machine is stopped automatically.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Paten t 1. In a tile-machine, the combination of a stationary table, a vertically-movable shaft, a frame upon the lower end of the shaft, bevelwheels upon the sides of the frame, a pin upon the outer face of each of the wheels, blocks upon the sides of the frame, the upper end of each of which is provided with a slot, and tamping-bars secured to the blocks.

2. In a tile-machine, the combination of a stationary table, avertically-movable shaft, a frame upon the lower end of the shaft, bevelwheels upon the sides of the frame, blocks upon the sides of the shaft,the upper ends of which engage with the wheels, tamping-bars upon the blocks, a sleeve upon the lower end of the shaft, a bevel-wheel upon the lower end of the sleeve and a sprocket-wheel upon the upper end, a sprocket-wheel upon the upper end of the shaft, a vertical operatingshaft and two sprocketwheels upon the shaft, and chains for operating the sprocket-wheels.

3; In a tile-machine, the combination of a stationary table, a vertically-movable shaft, a weight upon the upper end of the shaft, and camping-bars upon the lower end.

4. In a tile-machine, the combination of a vertical support, a table secured to its lower portion, and two vertical shafts journaled in bearings at its upper portion, one of said shafts being longitudinally movable, tamping-bars upon the lower end of the movable shaft, a'bevel-wheel movably secured upon the lower end of the other shaft, and levers for connecting the movable shaft with the movable wheel.

5. In a tile-machine, the combination of a vertical support, a table secured to its lower portion, two shafts journaled in bearings at the upper portion of the support, one of which is movable vertically, tamping-bars upon the lower end of said shaft, a collar rigidly secured upon the upper portion of said shaft, a bevel-wheel movablymounted upon the other shaft, two levers pivotally secured upon the support, the opposite ends of which engage with the collar upon one shaft and the wheel upon the other shaft, and a link secured at its ends to said levers, the upper end of which is provided with a slot.

6. In a tile-machine, the combination of a stationary table, a revolving frame above the table adapted to be moved vertically, and a series of tamping-bars movably secured upon the frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS D. SHERMAN.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. BORTHWICK, Giro. M. RHETr. 

